Riley, a teen orphan boy living in Victorian London, has had the misfortune of being apprenticed to Albert Garrick, an illusionist who has fallen on difficult times and now uses his unique conjuring skills to gain access to victims' dwellings. On one such escapade, Garrick brings his reluctant apprentice along and urges him to commit his first killing. Riley is saved from having to commit the grisly act when the intended victim turns out to be a scientist from the future, part of the FBI's Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (WARP). Riley is unwittingly transported via wormhole to modern-day London, followed closely by Garrick.

WARP Book 2: The Hangman's Revolution

Young FBI agent Chevie Savano arrives back in modern-day London after a time-trip to the Victorian age, to find the present very different from the one she left. Europe is being run by a Facsist movement known as the Boxites, who control their territory through intimidation and terror. Chevie's memories come back to her in fragments, and just as she is learning about the WARP program from Professor Charles Smart, inventor of the time machine, he is killed by secret service police. Now they are after Chevie, too, but she escapes....

The Last Guardian: Artemis Fowl, Book 8

Artemis Fowl’s archenemy Opal Koboi has masterminded a way to simultaneously secure her release from prison and bring the human and fairy worlds to their knees. And, unless Artemis can stop her, the evil pixie’s next move will destroy all human life on Earth. Ground zero is the Fowl Estate, where Opal has reanimated fairy warriors who were buried there thousands of years ago. Their spirits have possessed any vessels they can find - corpses, Artemis’s little brothers, assorted wildlife - and they are bound to obey Opal’s every command. Defeating the motley troops and their diabolical leader will require all of Artemis’s cleverness.

Plugged

Daniel McEvoy has a problem. Well, really, he has several, but for this Irish ex-pat bouncer at a seedy, small-time casino, the fact that his girlfriend was just murdered in the parking lot is uppermost in his mind. That is until lots of people around him start dying, and not of natural causes. Suddenly, Daniel’s got half the New Jersey mob, dirty cops, and his man-crazy upstairs neighbor after him, and he still doesn't know what's going on.

Half Moon Investigations

Fletcher Moon has never been like other kids. For one thing, he has had to suffer the humiliating nickname "Half Moon" because of his short stature. But the real reason Fletcher is different is that ever since he was a baby, he's had a nose for sniffing out mysteries. And let's just say, it's not a skill that has been appreciated by many people, including his own family.

The Supernaturalist

In the future, Cosmo Hill breaks out of an orphanage with the help of the Supernaturalists, a motley crew of kids who all have the same special ability as Cosmo: they can see supernatural Parasites, creatures that feed on the life force of humans. The Supernaturalists patrol the city at night, hunting the Parasites in hopes of saving what is left of humanity in Satellite City. Or so they think. The Supernaturalists soon find themselves caught in a web far more complicated than they imagined

The Atlantis Complex: Artemis Fowl 7

Artemis has committed his entire fortune to a project he believes will save the planet and its inhabitants, both human and fairy. Can it be true? Has goodness taken hold of the world’s greatest teenage criminal mastermind?

Airman

In the 1890s Conor and his family live on the sovereign Saltee Islands, off the Irish coast. Conor spends his days studying the science of flight with his tutor and exploring the castle with the king's daughter, Princess Isabella. But the boy's idyllic life changes forever the day he discovers a deadly conspiracy against the king.

The Time Paradox: Artemis Fowl, Book 6

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius, and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn’t know what he’s taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren’t the fairies of bedtime stories; these fairies are armed and dangerous.

Screwed

The second crime novel by internationally best-selling writer Eoin Colfer is a gritty and utterly compelling follow-up to the critically acclaimed Plugged. In Screwed, Colfer adds an entirely new chapter to the adventures and misadventures of Daniel McEvoy, the down-on-his-luck Irish bouncer at a seedy New Jersey bar who, with the help of a motley crew of unlikely characters, solved a bizarre string of murders - including the one of the girl he loved. But people around him continue to die mysteriously, and Daniel is called into action once again.

The Lost Colony: Artemis Fowl, Book 5

Thousands of years ago, fairies and humans fought a great battle for the magical island of Ireland. When it became clear that they could not win, all of the fairies moved below ground, except for the 8th Family, the demons. Rather than surrender, they used a magical time spell to take their colony out of time and into Limbo. There they have lived for decades, preparing to exact their violent revenge on humans.

The Opal Deception: Artemis Fowl, Book 4

After his last run-in with the fairies, Artemis Fowl had his mind wiped of his memories of the world below ground. Any goodness he had grudgingly learned is now gone, and the young genius has reverted to his criminal lifestyle.

The Eternity Code: Artemis Fowl, Book 3

After being held prisoner for years, Artemis Fowl's father has finally come home. He is a new man, an honest man, much to Artemis's horror. He makes his son promise to give up his life of crime, and Artemis has to go along with it. But not until he has completed one last scheme.

The Arctic Incident: Artemis Fowl, Book 2

Artemis is at boarding school in Ireland when he receives an urgent e-mail from Russia. In it is a plea from a man who has been kidnapped by the Russian Mafia: his father. As Artemis rushes to his rescue, he is stopped by a familiar nemesis, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police. But this time, instead of battling the fairies, he is going to have to join forces with them if he wants to save one of the few people in the world he loves.

Artemis Fowl: Artemis Fowl, Book 1

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genuis, and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories, they're dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.

Scorpion Mountain: Brotherband Chronicles, Book 5

Fresh off of victory over their longtime nemesis, Tursgud, Hal and the Herons, summoned by King Duncan, set sail for Castle Araluen. Thrust into the dangerous world of Araluen, the Herons learn of a threat to Queen Evanlyn and whispers of a deadly sect known as the Scorpion Cult. Rumors say that Iqbal, who previously tried to assassinate Evanlyn at her wedding to Horace, might be planning another attempt.

Crystal Keepers

Cole Randolph ventures to a new kingdom as he continues his search for his friends - and pursues his quest to mend what has gone awry with the magic in The Outskirts. Can he overcome the challenges ahead, or will he be stranded forever in a world between reality and imagination?

The Wish List

Meg Finn is in trouble. Unearthly trouble. Cast out of her own home by her stepfather after her mom's death, Meg is a wanderer, a troublemaker. But after her latest stunt, finding a place to sleep is the least of her worries. Belch, Meg's partner in crime, has gotten her involved in an attempt to rob an old man's apartment, and things have gone horribly wrong.

Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase, Book 1

A sinister problem has occurred in London: all nature of ghosts, haunts, spirits, and specters are appearing throughout the city, and they aren't exactly friendly. Only young people have the psychic abilities required to see - and eradicate - these supernatural foes. Many different Psychic Detection Agencies have cropped up to handle the dangerous work, and they are in fierce competition for business.

Rogue Knight: Five Kingdoms, Book 2

Cole Randolph never meant to come to The Outskirts, but when his friends were kidnapped on Halloween he had to try and save them. Now he’s trapped in a world that lies between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death. Cole’s search for his friends has led him to Elloweer, another of the five kingdoms that make up The Outskirts.

The Whispering Skull: Lockwood & Co., Book 2

In the six months since Anthony, Lucy, and George survived a night in the most haunted house in England, Lockwood and Co. hasn't made much progress. Quill Kipps and his team of Fittes agents keep swooping in on Lockwood's investigations. Finally, in a fit of anger, Anthony challenges his rival to a contest: the next time the two agencies compete on a job, the losing side will have to admit defeat in the Times newspaper.

Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes

Who cut off Medusa's head? Who was raised by a she-bear? Who tamed Pegasus? And whatever happened to that Golden Fleece? It takes a demigod to know the answers, and Percy Jackson can fill you in on all the daring deeds of Perseus, Atalanta, Bellerophon, and the rest of the major Greek heroes.

Slaves of Socorro: Brotherband, Book 4

Hal and his fellow Herons have returned home to Skandia after defeating the pirate captain Zavac and reclaiming Skandia's most prized artifact, the Andomal. With their honor restored, the Herons turn to a new mission: tracking down an old rival turned bitter enemy. Tursgud - leader of the Shark Brotherband and Hal's constant opponent - has turned from a bullying youth into a pirate and slave trader. After Tursgud captures 12 Araluen villagers to sell as slaves, the Heron crew sails into action...with the help of one of Araluen's finest Rangers!

The Blood of Olympus: The Heroes of Olympus, Book 5

Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen - all of them - and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood - the blood of Olympus - in order to wake.

Sky Raiders: Five Kingdoms, Book 1

Cole Randolph was just trying to have a fun time with his friends on Halloween (and maybe get to know Jenna Hunt a little better). But when a spooky haunted house turns out to be a portal to something much creepier, Cole finds himself on an adventure on a whole different level.

Publisher's Summary

Riley, a teen orphan boy living in Victorian London, has had the misfortune of being apprenticed to Albert Garrick, an illusionist who has fallen on difficult times and now uses his unique conjuring skills to gain access to victims' dwellings. On one such escapade, Garrick brings his reluctant apprentice along and urges him to commit his first killing. Riley is saved from having to commit the grisly act when the intended victim turns out to be a scientist from the future, part of the FBI's Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (WARP). Riley is unwittingly transported via wormhole to modern-day London, followed closely by Garrick.

In modern London, Riley is helped by Chevron Savano, a 19-year-old FBI agent sent to London as punishment after a disastrous undercover, anti-terrorist operation in Los Angeles. Together Riley and Chevie must evade Garrick, who has been fundamentally altered by his trip through the wormhole. Garrick is now not only evil, but he also possesses all of the scientist's knowledge. He is determined to track Riley down and use the timekey in Chevie's possession to make his way back to Victorian London where he can literally change the world.

What made the experience of listening to WARP Book 1: The Reluctant Assassin the most enjoyable?

I'm a big Eoin Colfer fan, and his combination of humor and action is well represented here. The characters are unique and interesting with their own personal issues and motivations.

Maxwell Caulfield does a great job of balancing the many different accents throughout, including the strange case of mixing two distinct character voices at times to imply the struggle for control.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The villian, Garrick is absolutely the best reason to pick this one up. Already one of the smartest, if vilest, men in Victorian London, the technology of time travel gives him familiarity with the technology of today. His self-confidence comes to the surface in a delightfully "Bond villian" style where he feels completely unthreatened by Riley and Chevie.

"Agent Orange" was my second favorite, and favorite supporting character.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listen on my commute, primarily, and at first this wasn't a hard one to stop when I got to work and home. As the story moved back to the past in the last act, howeve,r it grew ever more compelling to listen to. By this time in the tale, the listener shares the belief that there's really nothing they can do to stop or even escape from Garrick, and you need to keep listening just to find out how they might pull it off.

Any additional comments?

The one sticking point was Agent Chevron Savano's voice. Always a challenge for a grown man to pull off a young female character, but there seemed to be a lot of variation in her speech patterns. At times, the over articulation reminded me of Joe Mantegna from Criminal Minds.

Dialog is too juvenile for adults and there is too much graphic violence for kids. Colfer has the ability to craft clever stories that appeal to both as exemplified by the Artemis Fowl series. I'm not sure what happened with the WARP series but it doesn't meet the standards I expect from Colfer.

Colfer does it again with a new cast of characters. I found this to have a lot of the Artemis Fowl series fantasy flair, but to be far more grounded. The narrator was excellent. He had very distinct voicing that was consistent throughout.

If you could sum up WARP Book 1: The Reluctant Assassin in three words, what would they be?

Yes, I loved Artemis but it is done and it was time for his to start something new and this is every bit as good a series. Riley is a plucky young man who although shifted to the 21st century from the 19th, he handles it well despite the obvious confusion from such a time shift. Chevron is not Holly but she is a smart teen who just happens to be working for the government. I can't wait for book 2.

This was Fagan as an insane assasin who's training the Artful Dodger meeting up with Dr. Who.

What could Eoin Colfer have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

He could have done a better job by being more considerate of his fans and not pieced together old fiction. It lacked more than just imagination. As a fan of Colfer's novels, I kept hoping for things to turn around. I just may return the recording.

Which scene was your favorite?

When the announcer said, 'Audible hopes..."

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No. I'm not convinced this was all written by Colfer. But being so vacuous, it should really do well with American audiences. Perhaps that was the intent. I know that Hollywood would've ruined Artemis Fowl (making it into a pieced together mess). And this may be Colfer snickering at Hollywood and American audiences. Still, I take umbrage at being a true fan in the middle who gets the smack.

Any additional comments?

The reader was brilliant. The performance tops the story. And that is the only benefit owing to Colfer's latest. He was taking a p..s.

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